Vintage and Fine Wines (Premium Port)

Vintage Port is only produced in the very best years. If a port house believes their wines are sufficiently excellent, they 'declare' that they are releasing a Vintage Port. Classic or General Declarations are when the majority of port houses declare. In other years, smaller volumes may be bottled as Single Quinta Vintage Ports (individual estate wines). These are generally acknowledged as being excellent ports, providing excellent drinking over many decades, despite not being at the level of the classic Vintage Port years. Below is a chronological list of the Vintage Ports since the foundation of Symington Family Estates in 1882.

To learn more about Port check out The Vintage Port Site for more details.

Vintage Year	Recommendation	'Wine Spectator' Press/Media Score	Description
2017	Hold		Generally declared vintage. Incredible intensity and concentration. Superb purity and very aromatic.
2016	Hold	96	Generally declared vintage. Exuberant fruit, racy acidity and tightly focused structure.
2015	Hold	93	Single Quinta vintage declarations. Ripe, fresh, and driven.
2011	Hold	99	Classic vintage. Powerful and elegant, with concentrated fruit flavors and plenty of grip.
2008	Hold		Single Quinta vintage declarations. Good grip, finish and ripe fruit.
2007	Hold	98	Classic Vintage. Wines with great purity and definition for drinking over the medium-to-long-term. Drink from the early 2020s.
2006	Drink/Hold		Single Quinta vintage declarations. Complex and aromatic wines.
2005	Drink/Hold		Single Quinta vintage declarations. Lots of ripe fruit flavors.
2004	Drink/Hold		Single Quinta vintage declarations. Very symmetric on the palate.
2003	Drink/Hold	98	Classic vintage. Balanced, fresh and aromatic, with lovely ripe fruit and rich, full body with powerful tannins.
2001	Drink/Hold		Single Quinta vintage declarations. Dark and well structured wines.
2000	Drink/Hold	97	Classic vintage. Aromatic, rich and ripe; serious structure and concentration.
1997	Drink/Hold	96	Generally Declared vintage. Renowned for full-bodied and harmonious wines suitable for long ageing.
1994	Drink/Hold	99	Classic vintage. One of the best of 20^th century. Monumental wines with fabulous rich fruit character and fantastic structure.
1991	Dink/Hold	93	Generally declared. Racy, harmonious, richly colored and aromatic with big ageing potential.
1985	Drink/hold	93	Classic vintage. Concentrated, rich and potent wines with huge ageing potential.
1983	Drink/hold	92	Classic vintage. Powerful, tannic, extremely age worthy.
1980	Drink	90	Generally declared. Open, fresh and fruit-driven.
1977	Drink/Hold	97	Classic Vintage. Strong tannins, great elegance and staying power. The best can age for decades.
1975	Drink	80	Generally declared. Attractive, elegant wines.
1970	Drink/Hold	95	Classic Vintage. Outstanding vintage quality. Intense fruit, concentrated tannins, great balance.
1966	Drink	93	Generally declared. Superb structure, filled with fruit and tannins.
1963	Drink/Hold	98	Benchmark Port. Memorable vintage wines with real character, tannins and elegance. Can age for years.
1960	Drink/Hold	87	Generally declared. Very elegant Port. Potential to improve if well cellared.
1948	Drink	99	Not generally declared but classic wines. Coffee/caramel flavor. Incredibly long ageing potential.
1945	Drink	98	Classic Vintage. Full-bodied with fantastic structure. Long lasting wines.
1927	Drink	100	One of the classics of the 20^th century. Potential to age for more than 100 years.
1924	Drink		Generally declared, very high quality in small quantities.
1912	Drink		Classic Vintage. Full-bodied with concentration and balance.
1908	Drink	94	Generally declared. Balanced, elegant wines.
1904	Drink	90	Classic Vintage Port. These wines have developed an old tawny style throughout the decades.
1900	Drink	90	Declared by almost all producers, these wines still deliver after 100 years. Balanced and delicate.
1897	Drink		Not generally declared. Marking the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.
1896	Drink		Generally declared. Still Fantastic after over 100 years.

Vintage Port Chart